Far from par-fect

Zach Smith, president and founder of the YSU men’s golf club, tees off at Avalon Lakes Golf Course. The men’s golf club is looking for new members to participate in their intermural sport.

After placing third in its second tournament against The Pennsylvania State University, the YSU men’s golf club is looking to expand its members on campus.

Men’s golf is a non-varsity, intermural sport organization on campus, and part of the National Collegiate Club Golf Association, which brings in university club golf teams from all over the nation to compete. YSU’s division is part of the Atlantic Region, which consists of teams from Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Zach Smith, president and founder of the YSU men’s golf club, said that there are over 160 teams in the Atlantic Region.

“We actually don’t play with the Ohio states because the tournaments are too far away, almost near Kentucky,” Smith said.

The golf club team plays two tournaments per semester, and will have a chance to represent YSU in the national tournament in the spring.

Last semester, the team scored a total of 897 in its first tournament and 828 during the second.

The golf club consisted of 10 male students in the fall of last semester. The club was led by Jared Sliwinski and Jordan Lorenz, its two vice presidents, and Marcus Rivera, the general manager.

Smith said his team and he are passionate about the sport of golf and function well as a group.

“I really like what I do. I feel like we started a mini company here, trying to recruit people, trying to raise money and get sponsors, and we really gel as a team. It’s just nice to play competitive golf,” Smith said.

Rivera said that he too shares a passion for the game as well as the competition.

“I am very passionate about the golf club. When I was presented with the opportunity to be a part of the original YSU golf club, I was excited. I have always loved the game of golf, and the club team has given me a way to continue to play competitively,” he said.

The team practices in the Watson and Tressel Training Site on campus, Avalon Lakes Country Club, The Lake Club, the Youngstown Country Club, Pine Lakes, and The Henry Stambaugh Municipal Golf Course.

Smith explained that some of the goals he and his team set were to represent the campus and continue to grow as a group.

“We want to represent the university and whoever we’re sponsored by in a good manner. This semester, I’m looking forward to bringing people in, and one of our goals as an organization is to grow. We don’t want to just have 10 or 20 people. We want to have 30 or 40 people next year, and its more competition for our team,” Smith said.

Rivera said he feels that the golf club is important to the university and that practice is important for the team to have a good standing.

“I feel that our club team, as well as any other club team, is important to students. Myself, as well as the other players on the team, work hard and put in a lot of practice time to stay at the top of our game. We all want to be at the top of the rankings and make a good name for the YSU golf club,” he said.